Never Give Up on Hope and JOY

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  I pray you’re drinking it faithfully!

            This week I’ve shared some “jewels of joy” regarding our walk with the Lord. While each of them is imperative to living a genuine Christian life, the one we’ll discuss today should be a priority!

            Today’s “jewel”: GOD HEARS AND ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS…in His time and His way…so never give up!  We see this prayerful diligence demonstrated by Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel.  Hannah desired to have a child more than anything.  But she had been unable to bear children.  HOWEVER, instead of giving up hope, Hannah kept praying!

            Here is a portion of her prayer from 1 Samuel 1:10 – 11:

 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.  And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life…”

            Hannah never gave up hope and continued to pray. In his perfect time, He gave her a son, Samuel.  This child grew up to be a great man of God.  What can we learn from Hannah’s example?

• She was fervent in worship and prayer.
• She was faithful to God
• She was true to her word; she kept her vow.
• She was willing to follow through on even a costly commitment.

       May we all "pray without ceasing" and never give up! God has a plan that’s JOYfully better than anything you can imagine!

A "Salty" Jewel of JOY

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Even though it’s most often sweet to the taste, a little salt can be really good!

            Colossians 4:6 instructs: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”  This is another “jewel of joy” that we should apply to our lives.  When our words are seasoned with “salt”, they are edifying and encouraging.  They build people up and set a great example!

            Out of our mouths at every opportunity should come God’s truth, words from scripture, application of Biblical principles and references to God’s presence and sovereign power. That’s what we call “spiritual salt”.  In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we read, “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.”

            The way I understand those verses is this: First, we adults should fill our own hearts with God’s Word; and then we must deliberately and diligently teach them to our children…every minute of every day! We must live what we teach.  If our words don’t match our actions, then we can’t expect our children to believe that they’re true.

  

            Be authentic..a genuine “salty” Christian that truly “walks the walk”. That’s when you will see an impact on those who look to you for an example. 

           May our words be seasoned with salt and JOY in the Lord!

Love God; Love Your Neighbor; Find JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Check to see if your neighbors need to borrow some of yours!  Odds are…they do!

 

            In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus tells us to “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

            What does it mean to "love your neighbor as yourself"?  That’s one of those “jewels of joy” that I like to talk about!  We are to treat others the way we want to be treated!  Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, whether they have the same skin color or different ethnicity…God loves us all, and WE should follow His example!  That’s not always easy to do, is it?  Especially when:

• They don’t believe the same way we do about things
• When they hurt our children or family members
• When they criticize us or make ungodly decisions that affect us and our family

 Friends, the fact is, we can’t always love our neighbor as ourselves if we try to do it in our own strength!  While some people are easy to love, others are a true challenge. That’s when we must allow Jesus to love through us.  Let’s stay steeped in the Word of God and pray continually so that we will know His will in every situation.  We can’t change people, but God can change our hearts. 

     Share this “jewel of joy”.  Let the JOY of Jesus shine on you, in you and through you…..as you allow Him to love others through you!

             

Faith In God = JOY in the Lord

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Please remember to share the JOY of Jesus with your children!

            Parents, do your children hear you reading from the Bible?  Do they see you studying it, as if you value that book above all others?  Do you teach them that every word is TRUTH and that if we will apply that truth to our lives, we will be blessed?  Now, we have no promise that we’ll never have troubles; trials and difficulties come to each of us.  But the blessings come regardless of our circumstances when we have a close, personal relationship with God.

            The greatest thing that we can ever teach our children is FAITH in God!  Romans 10:17 says: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

When we take the time to read the Bible to and with our children; when we allow them to hear the truth of scripture consistently; when we allow time for them to ask questions and spend time talking about the principles laid out in the Word of God---then we are instilling in them a gift that will never leave them.  That gift is called FAITH.  I like to call it a “Jewel of JOY”.

              We can never say it enough! “The JOY of the Lord is our strength!” Nehemiah 8:10.  And that JOY comes from a strong, unwavering faith in our Heavenly Father!  When we love him with all our heart, soul and mind, then the joy overflows onto others…especially those under our influence!

           “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Share that “jewel of joy” with your family and loved ones today!

A Jewel of JOY: Love GOD Supremely!

             Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drink up… quickly!  We never know how much time we have!

            Papa Pat and I often laugh about how much we’ve learned since our grandchildren have arrived.  We had never heard of a “Boppie” or “Pack-n-Play”.  And when our children were babies, we would have never dreamed of having a video monitor in their bedroom to watch their every move!  Many other things have changed, but one thing remains the same: Children are children!  And they all need lots of love, attention and direction!

            Being a parent is one of the hardest, most demanding, most challenging jobs in the world!  BUT it is also the most rewarding, fulfilling and joyful privileges that I’ve ever had!  We recently celebrated Mother’s Day; and I as I pondered what that meant to me personally as a mother and as a daughter of a WONDERFUL mom, several “Jewels of JOY” came to mind.

            One of those “jewels” is this: Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 to  “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”   If we don’t love God supremely and have a passion for the things of God…we can’t expect our children to.  Truly….what we do speaks a lot louder than what we say!

            May we love God with all our being and share this “jewel of joy” with our children...and all those who look to us for an example!

Cry Without Shame; Then Laugh with JOY!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  If you feel like crying, it may help you to find unexpected joy!

            This week we’ve been reflecting on the powerful lessons we can learn from little children. Lessons like:

·        JOYfully anticipate each new day!

·        Smile…even if no one is looking!

·        Don’t be so concerned about what you look like on the outside.  It’s the inside that counts!

·        Take God’s hand and let him guide your every step of your path!

The lesson that we’ll discuss today is one that comes easily for children, but we adults seem to have a real challenge with it. It’s a two-part-er:  FIRST:

• If you are hurting, cry without shame. Notice how children aren’t ashamed to express their disappointment or hurt by letting the tears flow! But many adults think they have to hold theirs in! One four year old wisely surmised: “God gave us tears to wash the sadness in our hearts away.”  So use those tears whenever necessary and don’t be ashamed to do so….but, then, after a while, we must move on!  God will give us the courage and strength to do so.

 And that leads us to the second part of our lesson:

• Laugh often!  That’s scriptural! Psalm 126:2 says: “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

            Indeed, the Lord has done great things for us! So let’s laugh often and JOYfully shout His praises!

            Use your tears when you need to…and then move on, laugh and shout for JOY!

God Will Uphold You....JOYfully! Take His Hand!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  As you hold your special serving in one hand, use the other one to share some JOY with someone else!

            The older I get, the more I realize that children get a lot of things RIGHT!  Age and peer pressures haven’t thwarted their enthusiasm for life & the JOY that each new day can bring.

            Our “grandjoys”  remind me of the simple ways of expressing sincere trust.  When we’re going someplace that is unfamiliar, they instinctively put their hand in mine.  It’s as if they are saying: “I trust you, Gigi; I love you; I feel safe with you.”

            That’s how God wants us to feel toward Him.  Listen to His words in Isaiah 41:10:  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

            God want us to reach up and take His “righteous right hand”.  As His children, we should trust in His guidance at all times.  When we can’t seem to find our way, when we have doubts about our future, when we are weak and confused …we can reach up and take His hand.  And He desires to hold our hand in the good times, too.  Just as a child lovingly slips his hand in yours to express his love….so should we do that same with God.  Take His hand as He intertwines His fingers of love around you.

            Sing with me:  “He’s got the whole world in His hands!”  That means you and me, friend!  Hold on to His hand…JOYully!